As you walk into the cafeteria, tables have been flooded with students and conversations echo throughout the room. One thing is clear, though: more students sit in here than last year.

   Although Mundelein High School was able to return to a sense of “normalcy” during the 2021-22 school year, COVID-19 still affected routines and traditions from before the pandemic– one being the policy on who can leave campus for lunch. 

   For the 2021-22 year, all students were allowed to leave campus during lunch. Many flocked to local restaurants like China Court and Tamales Diana– which, evidently, was beneficial for these establishments (but, if there were a “sudden” lack of teenage customers during the week, the businesses would not be “ruined.”) 

   Yet when the current school year began, the off-campus lunch policy returned to being granted to only juniors and seniors. In other words, it returned back to how it would’ve been in a “pre-COVID normal” way– which brought along some complaints from the underclassmen.

   It is not unusual for sudden changes to a routine to bring about protests. In fact, that kind of uproar can undo the changes if done correctly and applied to the right concern (which was apparent with this year’s new makeup of the homecoming court.) 

   Having the opportunity to leave for lunch get taken away from you after a year of “freedom” would be a reasonable change to get frustrated with. But if this rule gets changed, would other upperclassmen perks be opened up to the rest of the school as well? Concepts such as a parking pass, free periods– would these things lose their special spark? 

   Even if this appears to be the “year of change,” not every aspect of Mundelein High School’s traditions are in need of an update. 

   We can take things one at a time, and underclassmen can find silver linings until they too can enjoy these “perks” of being an upperclassman.